The President of the Ghana Karate-do Federation, Mr. Nathaniel Johnson Esq., has thrown his weight behind the proposal by Mr. Bawah Fuseini, President of Ghana Athletics, to categorize sports federations in Ghana for more equitable allocation of funds.
Speaking at the International Olympic Day celebration, Mr. Johnson emphasized the need for categorization, citing the differences between team sports and individual disciplines.
“Oh yes,’ he said. ‘There are sports that comprise teams, like football, basketball, and volleyball. And then there are others that are diverse sports like karate. Even though we have a team kata, it’s just three people. Karate, like taekwondo and judo, are individual sports. You can’t expect us to share the same resources as football or basketball.”
However, Mr. Johnson cautioned that categorization must be done with care to avoid disputes.
“It’s a fact that categorization must take place, but it must be done carefully so that there won’t be complaints of favoritism,’ he said. ‘Some people might get more than others in the same category. I think it should be done, but it should be done carefully to avoid ambiguity.”
